Tourism & Travel News South Africa

Contiki deploys AI trip managers

April Fools! We're just having a little bit of April Fools fun with Contiki...
Contiki deploys AI trip managers

Contiki, in a ground-breaking world first, will be utilising the potential of artificial intelligence technology to create state-of-the-art travel experiences for young South Africans - ‘Artificial Intelligence Trip Managers' or A.T.I.T.A.

The future of travel

Contiki strives to bridge the gap between travel and technology, and this incorporation of the latest AI software is a big step towards achieving this. Contiki has risen to the challenge of creating the perfect artificial intelligence trip manager, that doesn’t feel artificial at all. The company holds a very high standard for their trip managers, and these robots are no exception. Each A.T.I.T.A is programmed with a database of over 1.5 billion travel facts, tips, and recommendations as well as 100,000 jokes that are seamlessly executed for every situation, ensuring that every experience feels totally authentic.

“We have been experimenting with artificial intelligence for over 18 months now and are proud to be the world’s first travel company to introduce AI trip managers. We know young people are digital natives and as technology improves, Contiki is redefining travel and taking it to the next level. This new technology is also a massive business advantage as we usually have to invest nine weeks of training into our trip managers, but now they’re ready to go just with a click of a button. Our new ‘A.T.I.T.A’ product is the future of travel and a disruptor to the entire industry,” said Kelly Jackson, general manager for Contiki in South Africa.

Contiki is introducing A.T.I.T.A run tours for three of their most popular tours including: European Discovery, London to Athens, and Spanish Spree. Their goal is to further elevate and personalise the experience of these iconic tourist destinations.

Contiki to gradually remove all human trip managers

“We’re excited to see what the response and feedback are like from our first round of A.T.I.T.A tours. She has tested well, her independence, knowledge, and cost effectiveness is proving to be a valuable business innovation, but what makes her special is her human touch without the touch. The robots are extremely responsive to participants needs, making for a more overall rewarding travel experience. If all goes as planned, we’re looking to implement A.T.I.T.A’s in all of our tours and gradually remove the human trip manager altogether.”

Contiki has also developed a unique messenger app where travellers can chat anytime with their A.T.I.T.A. in order to ask questions about the trip in private, receive personalised recommendations based on their needs or get extra support they need while abroad. By using the power of AI, Contiki is elevating the travel experience so that every traveller walks away with absolutely #NoRegrets.

Let's do Biz